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-   -   UK postal service to Canada during current strike (https://britishexpats.com/forum/maple-leaf-98/uk-postal-service-canada-during-current-strike-634356/)

anishq Oct 6th 2009 1:27 pm

UK postal service to Canada during current strike
 
Anybody had an airmail parcel shipped from UK to Canada during the current go-slow? And if you did have a delivery how many days did delivery take? I have consulted the website and three to five days are quoted from UK to Canada for airmail parcel. That's good service if and when it works.

Thanks.

minimeeze Oct 6th 2009 1:40 pm

Re: UK postal service to Canada during current strike
 
Royal Mail and Canada post.... don't know which is the worst!

We had a package shipped from the UK when there wasn't a strike and it took 6 weeks (yes, it was by air.... pigeon post, methinks!). It has taken the same length of time for stuff to get from Canada to the UK. Yet sometimes, we have sent or received stuff in as little as 3 or 4 days. Bizarre!

Aviator Oct 6th 2009 1:49 pm

Re: UK postal service to Canada during current strike
 

Originally Posted by anishq (Post 7995549)
Anybody had an airmail parcel shipped from UK to Canada during the current go-slow? And if you did have a delivery how many days did delivery take? I have consulted the website and three to five days are quoted from UK to Canada for airmail parcel. That's good service if and when it works.

Thanks.

We used to get mail and packages the same day. Now we have to wait 3 - 5 days and pay. Got a couple today.

Souvy Oct 6th 2009 11:01 pm

Re: UK postal service to Canada during current strike
 

Originally Posted by anishq (Post 7995549)
Anybody had an airmail parcel shipped from UK to Canada during the current go-slow? And if you did have a delivery how many days did delivery take? I have consulted the website and three to five days are quoted from UK to Canada for airmail parcel. That's good service if and when it works.

Thanks.

How long is a piece of string? There is no rhyme or reason to the service, even in "normal" times. I've had airmail packages delivered faster than UPS packages.

I'd say that the UK end of things tends to work better than Canada Post. I'm on my company's mailing list and I report back when I receive stuff (basically keeping tabs on our bulk mailing contractor). Judging from the postmarks, things get to Canada quite fast, and then take up to a week to get to me.

It's the same with Fedex. I track packages sent to me. They get from Wimbledon to Ottawa, via Atlanta, in under 24 hours. It can then take two or three days for them to get to me. More, if there is a weekend or public holiday in the way.

Atlantic Xpat Oct 7th 2009 3:08 am

Re: UK postal service to Canada during current strike
 

Originally Posted by Souvy (Post 7996626)
It's the same with Fedex. I track packages sent to me. They get from Wimbledon to Ottawa, via Atlanta, in under 24 hours. It can then take two or three days for them to get to me. More, if there is a weekend or public holiday in the way.

via Mempis surely? Odd though, we use FEDEX extensively at work and get excellent service. 2-3 days from Europe.

anishq Oct 7th 2009 3:55 am

Re: UK postal service to Canada during current strike
 

Originally Posted by Atlantic Xpat (Post 7997399)
via Mempis surely? Odd though, we use FEDEX extensively at work and get excellent service. 2-3 days from Europe.

Thanks to you and all the other replies for taking time out to reply. The parcel has been shipped to me from UK today. Advised another strike starts on Friday. I am hoping that my parcel will have already left UK by then but I live in hope.

fledermaus Oct 7th 2009 4:19 am

Re: UK postal service to Canada during current strike
 

Originally Posted by anishq (Post 7997523)
Thanks to you and all the other replies for taking time out to reply. The parcel has been shipped to me from UK today. Advised another strike starts on Friday. I am hoping that my parcel will have already left UK by then but I live in hope.

Who is on strike please? Royal Mail or Canada Post?

Souvy Oct 7th 2009 5:00 am

Re: UK postal service to Canada during current strike
 

Originally Posted by Atlantic Xpat (Post 7997399)
via Mempis surely? Odd though, we use FEDEX extensively at work and get excellent service. 2-3 days from Europe.

Memphis, Atlanta..... It's all the same genetic code and number of fingers.

The tracking I get always says "delivery by 5pm on day X", which is usually next day. It never happens. Stuff may well make it across the Atlantic pretty quickly but when it gets to Ottawa, if it's not cleared and on the van by 9am, it's not going out that day.

One of the drivers told me that.

jerry brewer Oct 9th 2009 5:36 am

Re: UK postal service to Canada during current strike
 
Hi
Just had post from the UK, from the UK postmark stamp date, it took only five days.:thumbup:
cheers
Jerry

scrubbedexpat091 Oct 9th 2009 7:20 am

Re: UK postal service to Canada during current strike
 

Originally Posted by Souvy (Post 7997680)
Memphis, Atlanta..... It's all the same genetic code and number of fingers.

The tracking I get always says "delivery by 5pm on day X", which is usually next day. It never happens. Stuff may well make it across the Atlantic pretty quickly but when it gets to Ottawa, if it's not cleared and on the van by 9am, it's not going out that day.

One of the drivers told me that.

Sounds about right, they wont wait around for customs to clear everyting normally, customs doesn't always work in a quick and timely fashion. They are not gonna delay a whole truck load for a few packages.

Same with luggage at airports, if its taking a long time for the bag to come, probably a customs delay. We had customs once hold all the bags we off loaded for over an hour before they permitted us to send them to baggage claim, of course airline gets blamed for being slow, but customs was the reason behind it.

el_richo Oct 9th 2009 9:10 am

Re: UK postal service to Canada during current strike
 

Originally Posted by fledermaus (Post 7997579)
Who is on strike please? Royal Mail or Canada Post?

Royal Mail posties have agreed to more strikes so the post should be hit & miss if using them. I say hit and miss because i've not had any issues with delays so far yet i know people who have.


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